Pen Pals
by Rainbowkiwii
Summary: Requested by Apocalypsebutterfly (sorry it took a billion years to write). Nepeta's teacher assigns their class an assignment involving pen pals. Gamzee's class gets the same thing. They meet each other over phone, and shenanigans ensue. (Humanstuck AU).
1. Chapter 1

Ugh, school. To Nepeta, school was an inconvenience. Especially today, when all she wanted to do was go home and look at her shipping wall. It had become her newest obsession, or at least, it was something to keep her busy while her mom and sister were away. She sighed and tuned out the teacher, who was lecturing them about keeping quiet.

_We're middle schoolers, we know this already_! she thought as she took off her hat to pick at random fluff balls on it.

"...and you will each be assigned a pen pal to work with. Your pen pal will live across the country..."

Wait a minute, what was the teacher saying? Nepeta perked up, actually tuning in to what the teacher was saying.

"You'll all be drawing names from a hat to determine your pen pal, so I shouldn't hear any whining." the teacher said sternly, taking an upside down top hat from her desk and placing it in front of another student.

"Pick."

This ritual of students picking went on for about three more minutes before it got to Nepeta, who was jubilant about this exciting opportunity to meet someone new. She reached her hand in excitedly, which pissed off the very grumpy teacher. She finally pulled after what seemed like an eon to the teacher, who gladly left her table afterword. She stared at the name in her hands.

_Gamzee Makara._ Huh. Interesting name.

After Nepeta had gotten clarification from the teacher on what they were supposed to do, the school day was over, which meant she had to start on her first task for the pen pal project: Call your pen pal. The teachers had already notified the teachers in the West coast that the pen pals had been chosen, so students should expect a phone call from three to six o' clock in their time. Nepeta ran home excitedly to show her sister.

"Wow, I never got a pen pal in middle school. You sure are lucky." she said as she did her homework and updated her Tumblr.

It was about two hours later, and Nepeta couldn't stand waiting anymore. She picked up her cellphone and dialed Gamzee's number. She bounced up and down and waited for Gamzee to pick up.

"Hello, motherfuckin Makara residence, Gamzee speaking." a boy's voice spoke from the other end.

"Hi Gamzee! It's Nepeta, your pen pal!"

A short silence followed.

"Oh yeah! I almost all up and forgot we had pen pals! Wow, what a miracle it is to finally talk to you!" he said. Nepeta giggled. He was kind of strange, but she liked that. She could tell that they were going to become very great friends in time.

"So Gamzee, what do you like to do?" she asked, as part of the assignment required her to.

"Hm, well I like to throw down some sick fires with my best friend Tavros. And sometimes I just stare up at the ceiling and think of all the miracles in this world. Oh, I also bake a little bit too. What about you?" he asked.

"Well, I like to draw, and write, and role play with my friend Equius!" she said.

"You sound motherfuckin interesting." he said, and Nepeta said he sounded like a fun guy too. The next question on their list was what their favorite animals were. This was easy for Nepeta to answer.

"My favorite animal is a cat!" Nepeta said. She had liked cats ever since she was born.

"That's cool. My favorite animal has to be a a goat, because those animals are just so chill." he said. They decided to ask one more question on their papers before calling it a night. The question was about their favorite colors.

"My favorite color is olive green, it's a very pretty color." Nepeta told her pen pal.

"Alright. Personally, every motherfuckin color is my favorite, but if I had to chose just one, it would be indigo, because it's bright and catchy." Gamzee said.

"Okay got it. Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow Gamzee! Bye!"

"Talk to you later, sis." he said before hanging up. Nepeta sighed. He was very friendly, and she couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Gamzee was at school, and he was practically the epitome of boredom. He didn't understand why he had to stay in this dark and boring classroom, when he could be outside with his stoner friends. Oh that's right. He was the only one left in the family that had a chance of getting a good education. He sighed and tuned out what the teacher was saying, until he got to talking about their new pen pals again. He perked up immediately. He liked his pen pal. She had the most adorable sounding voice, and she sounded excited all of the time.

"Would any of you like to share anything new you learned about your pen pal?" the teacher asked. A shy kid, who was Gamzee's best friend Tavros, raised his hand.

"I got a really, uh, loud pen pal. He complained about everything a lot, and uh, insulted a lot of things. I'm not sure if I want to talk to him still." he said sheepishly. The teacher just told him that they'd talk later, and called on another student named Kanaya.

"My pen pal, although we don't share the same interests, is quite interesting. She loves cuttle fish and swimming even though her mom wants her to be a baker." she said. The teacher nodded, and Gamzee figured it was time to raise his hand.

"My pen pal is motherfuckin sweet. She really likes cats, and draws a lot." the teacher cringed when Gamzee cursed, but was happy to see him participate in class more often. In fact, it seemed that he'd been doing better in school in general ever since he met his pen pal. He wondered what she was doing to motivate him.

It was the end of the day, and all Gamzee wanted to do was talk to Nepeta again. He walked into his empty home, picked up the phone, and dialed. He was excited, but nervous at the same time. The next question on their list was about how their home life was, and he wasn't sure how to respond to that, because his home life wasn't the greatest.

"Hi Gamzee! Are you ready to continue?" Nepeta asked cheerfully.

"Yup." he tried to sound as cheerful as he could, but his heart was pounding at a million miles an hour.

"Great! So what's your home life like?" she asked. Gamzee swallowed.

"Well, it's okay I guess. My mom and dad divorced, and my bro and him aren't around very much at all. So I'm motherfuckin stuck by myself most days. How about you?" he asked. He was glad to get that over with, and he thanked the Messiahs that he didn't tell her the whole story.

"I'm really sorry to hear that Gamzee. We can talk every day if that makes you feel any better." she offered.

"That'd be bitch tits wicked Nep!" he said. She giggled across the line, and he could tell she cared a lot. More than anybody else ever would.

"Well, my home life is pretty good. My mom and dad divorced too, and my sister and I rely on each other since my mom comes home late sometimes. But we're really close as a family." she said. Gamzee felt a pang of sadness as he wrote what Nepeta said down.

_But we're really close as a family..._

He wished his family was close.

"Alright Nep, what's motherfuckin next? he asked, wanting to get this over with.

"Next is what our dreams are!" she replied. Gamzee thought for awhile.

"I guess my motherfuckin dream is to finish school and be a great rapper. Or something." he said. He honestly hadn't thought about it, but when he talked to Nepeta, something about her enthusiasm about everything just seemed to motivate him more.

"My dream is to work for the ASPCA and save animals." this seemed like a pretty cool dream to have to Gamzee.

"Well what do you want to talk about now?" Nepeta asked, snapping him out of his trance.

"I don't know, what are some motherfuckin things you like besides what you told me about already?"

"Let's see... I like anime, and sometimes I go on this site called MS paint adventures..."

This caught Gamzee's attention.

"I like MS paint adventures too! What's your motherfuckin favorite adventure so far?" he asked. And for the rest of the afternoon, they bonded over this site, and many others.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a week since Nepeta had been talking to Gamzee, and over the past few days, she had found that Gamzee and her had way more in common than any of their friends had with the two kids. They both even ended up role playing a bit, which Gamzee found to be quite entertaining compared to what he usually did, which was watch TV. Also, Nepeta learned how to bake cupcakes, specifically Faygo cupcakes. She found them to be delicious, and an exciting new activity to add to her many interests. When she got home from school, she found Meulin, her sister, on the couch with her laptop. She smirked at her little sister.

"Are you here to talk to your little boyfriend again?" she asked while giggling. Nepeta blushed.

"He's not my boyfriend! Just a friend that I call a lot." she said. Meulin giggled again.

"I was just teasing Nep. Although, I suggest you add him to your shipping chart. Just saying." she said with a wink, getting right back to work. Nepeta just stared.

Shit.

Although it may have seemed like just a joke between sisters, this was serious shit to Nepeta. Meulin was even better than her when it came to shipping, so when she suggested to put Gamzee up there, Nepeta took it extremely seriously. She went up to her room and shut the door slowly, looking at her glorious shipping chart. She was pretty much all alone up there, next to Karkat, who had actually liked Terezi better than her. But she had never really considered a long distance relationship. It was true that they had been talking almost non stop throughout the time they had known each other. But at the same time...

She shook her head, trying to clear the rambling thoughts. Then she made a plan.

Next time they talked would be their last required time talking since the project was almost done. And that next time was in a few hours. So she'd ask if he'd still be interested in talking. If he said yes... well, that part can wait. But if he says no, then... tough luck, she guessed. She stared at the phone and swallowed nervously. This was going to be the scariest thing she'd ever done in her life. Or what she thought was going to be the scariest thing...

A few hours passed, and she was ready. As she stepped over to the phone, her stomach began to tighten, and she had just remembered that it did that every time she talked to him. Maybe it was the butterflies that formed when a person is in love.

"Hey Nep-sis! Sup?" Gamzee's voice drawled from the other line, snapping Nepeta back to reality.

"Hey Gamzee! It's time to do the last of our questions." she said.

"Oh wow, already? Time sure flies motherfuckin fast." he sad with a laugh. This made Nepeta's stomach drop.

_What does he mean by that? Does that mean that he just wants to be down with it? Is he sad? Is this whole thing useless? No! Stop it! Just make the best of this Nepeta! You cm do it!_

"Uh, earth to Nepeta! Where are you sis?" he asked with a laugh. She swallowed.

"W-well uh, I was just thinking that we could continue talking even after the questions were done. H-how's that sound?" she asked nervously.

"I was going to ask you the same thing Nep. You've motherfuckin made my life ten times better than ever. Hell, talking to you has made me a motherfuckin better person." he admitted. Nepeta's heart raced.

"G-gamzee, I've liked you for a long time now..." she trailed off. This was so embarrassing.

"Me too. You sound like a person I'd want to meet in real life, you-"

"Let's do it then."

"Wait, what?"

"Meet each other in real life! Gamzee, I want to see your face. Jus to know who I'm in love with." Nepeta said. She didn't even care that what she was saying was kind of ridiculous. She kind of reminded the author of Juliet from _Romeo and Juliet_.

"O-okay then. What's the plan?"

And for the rest of the night, they made a plan that was risky and dangerous. But love can drive people to do insane things. Especially when hormones play a big role in it.


	4. Chapter 4

The preparations were finally made. Nepeta had grabbed her Hello Kitty back pack and filled it with everything that she'd need for the journey over to Kansas. They agreed to meet each other half way across the country, since it was easier for both of them. Nepeta's heart pounded. She couldn't believe she was only in eighth grade, and going alone on an adventure! Her levels of adrenaline were skyrocketing, and she almost felt bad for leaving her mom and sister behind. She shook her head and have a deep sigh before walking out the door. It was a school day, but her mom and sister would never had know that she was gone because the school doesn't call and say that the student was absent until later in the day. By that time, she'd be long gone.

The girl walked a long way to the bus stop, where Greyhound buses went. She definitely received weird looks, and she almost panicked, but she gave herself another self motivation talk, and was on her way. As she sat down, a large woman eating some French fries sat down next to her. Her odor was unpleasant, and Nepeta felt sick. Luckily, another woman sat next to her. This one smelled nice, but didn't look nice. She was mainly dressed in black, and had a black panama hat on, and on the front was what appeared to be... an eight ball? Maybe Nepeta was just seeing things. Busses always made her kind of nervous. The lady with the hat turned to her and spoke.

"Aren't you a little young to be traveling by yourself?" Nepeta froze. She had forgotten what to say in case a stranger asked her about her travels.

"I-I'm visiting family." she said shyly.

"Right... Listen kid, I don't know where you're going without your parents, but I'll tell ya, it's dangerous out there. Are you sure you want to be traveling alone?" Now this lady made Nepeta feel uncomfortable. She began to get paranoid, thinking of all possibilities in her head. But then she remembered her little self motivational talks, and answered in a calm manner.

"No, I'm not afraid. I've wanted to go on an adventure for awhile now. To meet someone." she said. The lady smirked.

"Well kid, ya got a lot of guts, I'll give ya that."

The rest of the train ride was pretty decent, with the fat lady only killing Nepeta's sense of smell four times through the trip with her weird odor. As soon as they made it to the next stop and people got off, Nepeta moved across the aisle, away from the large woman.

_Thank God..._

A few hours later, Nepeta was in the state of Ohio, which means she had moved one state in one day. That was pretty good in her opinion, except for the fact that she only had enough money for one more bus ride. Which meant it was time to start walking. Alone. In the early evening. Nepeta swallowed and walked among the bustling crowd, trying to get out as soon as possible. When she was finally out of the station, she began to fast walk down empty streets. She constantly stumbled along in the dark, tripping over various pieces of debris. At one point, Nepeta sliced her foot open on a broken beer bottle, and it certainly didn't help that she was no longer in the city, where she could recive quick aid. But, she was determined to do whatever it took to see the person she loved.

As the wind blew through the trees, Nepeta decided that now, at around 11 at night, was the time to go to sleep. She grabbed out her blanket and mini pillow to lay down on. Her green, long coat already was good with keeping the cold out, which was an added bonus. Even though the brush was thick, she could partially see the stars through the trees. They were beautiful, and they glimmered. For some reason, she thought of the Disney theme song.

"'When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires, will come to you..." she softly sang as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Announcement time: I'm going to be gone in Europe for about three weeks, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next. But I promise I'll write while I'm there, so expect good things after I'm not jet lagged!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, two things:

1. Yay for connection in Europe :D

2. You know what makes my day? Reviews. (Hint hint)

* * *

Gamzee checked around the house one last time for any last items that might be useful for the journey to meet Nepeta. Upon seeing that there was none, he left the house, not bothering to leave a note, just like Nepeta had. Also, he was fully aware that he was skipping school, which made him feel adventurous, not to mention rebellious. It was better than waiting for his father and brother to get back, if they ever would...

He shook his head. Now was not the time to think about that.

When he arrived at the train station, Gamzee got what he had of his money, paid for a ticket, and hopped on. This would be one long train ride, since he was too poor to afford another. A boy and his father sat to his right, and nobody else sat to his left. The boy and his father looked extremely snooty, like they were from the rich part of town. Gamzee could only imagine the luxuries this boy's father had given him, or how much he paid attention to him. He must've went to a private school, and-

"Boy, don't move until I get back from the snack cart." his father said menacingly, to which the boy only grimaced. When his dad left, he found Gamzee staring at him. It was beginning to creep him out.

"What the fuck are you lookin at?" he asked Gamzee. Gamzee blushed slightly and turned away.

"S-sorry. You just looked really motherfuckin fancy and all, that I... yeah." Gamzee said sheepishly. But suddenly, the boy wasn't angry anymore.

"It's... okay actually. I'm used to people staring. What's your name?"

"Gamzee Makara. How about you?"

"Eridan Ampora. It's nice to meet another boy who isn't interested in only money. Or my money." Eridan said, with a small smile on his face. Gamzee grinned back.

"Yeah. It's nice to meet somebody who motherfuckin likes talking to poor boys like me." he said. "Usually, nobody even glances my way."

"Well, you sound like an interestin person Gam. Tell me more about yourself."

The two talked and shared some laughter before Eridan's father came back with a ton of food for God knows why. He stared suspiciously at his son.

"Eridan, I heard laughing in here. Were you talking to someone?"

"Yes sir." Eridan replied nervously. Gamzee pitied Eridan and himself. He was a firm believer that no child had to ever fear their parents. Especially since he had so many years ago, when-

"Well, who was it?" Eridan's father asked. Eridan timidly pointed to Gamzee. He examined Gamzee up and down.

"Alright, that's fine. He looks your age, and clean." This actually surprised Gamzee. Usually when people described him, they described him as shaggy and untrustworthy. Maybe it was because he was cleaned up to meet his love...

"So Gam, where are you off to all by yourself?" Eridan asked. Gamzee rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, I'm meetin this girl..." he started, unsure how to continue. Eridan's face lit up.

"Oh really? Well best of luck to you, Gam." Eridan said as he and his father got off. Gamzee now sat completely alone. But he was confident now that he and Nepeta would have a good time together. He'd make sure of it.

By the time the train stopped, he was in the state of Utah. Unfortunately however, because of his lack of money, he'd have to walk the rest of the way. He hoped that Nepeta would be fine in Kansas for all that time. But for now, his place was in the vast fields of Utah's wheat. He watched as the sun sunk slowly beneath the clouds, smiling contentedly to himself.

"Don'tcha worry, 'bout a thing, cuz every little thing, is gonna be alright..." he softly sang to himself as he drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The phone rang from Mrs. Leijon's desk.

"Meulin? Hi honey. What's up?" she asked cheerfully.

"Mom! Thank God you picked up! Nepeta's missing!" she said with a panicked tone. Her mom's heart stopped.

"W-what?" H-how do you know?"

"She didn't got to school today, and she's not homemade either! I've checked all around the neighborhood and all around town. She's not anywhere, and I don't know what to do." her distraught daughter said. Mrs. Leijon started to panic.

"Meulin, this better not be a prank!" she said, hoping her daughter would laugh and reveal to Nepeta that she fell for it.

"Mom I'm serious! She's gone!" Meulin said. Mrs. Leijon felt herself go weak. No. This couldn't have happened to her precious daughter. Her eyes filled with tears.

"I-I have to go now, Meu. I'll be a half an hour late home." she said as she hung up. She set her head down on her desk and cried for about ten minutes, thinking about the horrible possibilities.

_If only I'd spent more time with her instead of working... What if she's dead? What if she's been raped? Oh I'd never forgive myself if she was either... This must be all my fault._

After Mrs. Leijon was done grieving over the inventible loss of her daughter, she decided to head over to the police station to report her as missing.

_I'm living every mother's worst nightmare._ she realized as she walked out of the station.

A million miles away, in the Makara residence, Kurloz and his father were looking for Gamzee.

"Did you find him yet Kurloz?" his father asked. Kurloz shook his head, and Mr. Makara sighed.

_That boy better return soon..._ was his only thought on the matter.

* * *

Sorry for the really short chapter. I couldn't think of anything else to put here .


	7. Chapter 7

Nepeta had woken up covered in dew. While she was slightly annoyed at the water drenching her blanket, she still got up and continued on. It was a long walk across the state, but she constantly reminded herself that it was all going to be worth it in the end. She limped along past many hills and rivers, stopping at a local fast food joint for lunch. She bought a lot of food because she was so hungry for everything at that point. Even though she was fully aware that she had been spending a lot of money on food, she couldn't help herself. It was weird for her to think that this was how the homeless lived.

After being stuffed full, Nepeta made her way to the Grey Hound station, and paid for what would be her second to last trip on the bus. When she sat down, she thought a lot about home. What were mom and Meulin doing? Probably looking for her. She wouldn't be surprised if her mom put up lost ads on TV or on the streets. As all of this was stirring in her head, a voice suddenly called out to her.

"Hey! You're the missing Leijon kid! I found the missing Leijon kid!" the man called. All eyes turned to look at her.

Yep. Her mom did make her public. Well shit.

Nepeta got up and ran out of the bus, not bothering to bring her bag.

"Hey! Get back here!" voices called out to her as she ran. That's when the great chase of Nepeta Leijon ensued. She was very lucky that she was agile and quick, otherwise she would've gotten caught a long time ago. She turned back to see that even the police had gotten involved. Apparently she was a big target around here. She dodged through shops and even the local markets, knocking over carts of food, and other knick knacks. If she wasn't so focused on running away, she'd be amused by the fact that this chase reminded her of a chase scene from a movie.

Nepeta's downfall finally came when her cut open foot's pain became too much to bear, and she slipped on a liquid on the ground. The police cars that had been chasing her for so long had finally caught up, and she was taken away.

"Mrs. Leijon, you sure are a trouble maker. You've done some illegal things here over the last day, and now your mom has to pay." the officer said with an annoyed tone. Nepeta only slumped in her cell. She was incapacitated here until her mom could come and take her away. She sure hoped that Gamzee would be okay in Kansas until she could figure out a way to get out of the detention center. She looked around for possible options. All that there was was a bench with keys on it. Really? How stupid were these people to leave the keys out in plain sight? She smiled mischievously as she concocted her plan. There were a few advantages to dressing like a cat...

As soon as Nepeta was sure the guards were gone, she took off her blue tail that she had. She always fastened it to the back of her pants, to match her blue socks, and blue hat. Usually it was concealed within her green trench coat. But when it was in full view, it was around four feet, which was the length of the cell to the bench. She unfastened her tail from her pant loops, and whipped it out like a rope. The first couple attempts to get the keys were fails, but finally she caught ahold of the keys, just enough to pull quickly and viciously back, taking the keys with it. She heard the sound of footsteps down the hall, so she knew she had to move quick. Five minutes later, the keys were in her hands. She reached over to the lock, unlocked it, and ran out of the emergency exit. During all of this, the guards and the warden were trying to sort out legal things that Nepeta didn't stop to listen to. However, as soon as she escaped out the emergency exit, and alarm sounded, sending everyone running. But by the time they got there, she was long gone. All she had left was her hat, tail and coat.


	8. Chapter 8

Two things:

1. I'M NOT DEAD I SWEAR. But this chapter seems like it was lazily written. I'm sorry T.T

2. Boring disclaimer: I don't own members of ICP or Yellowstone.

* * *

When Gamzee got up the next morning, he was a hot and sticky mess. The night was extremely hot and the morning was too. Oh well. He just lay there for a moment, then forced himself to get up and walk. He was starving but continued onward toward Kansas, or at least what he thought was Kansas. Gamzee wasn't very good with directions, but he tried.

After walking about a mile, his stomach couldn't take it anymore. He took what little money he had into a McCdonald's and ordered. As he was eating, he noticed someone farmiliar walk into the restaurant. He squinted to make sure he was witnessing this correctly.

_Is that motherfuckin Violent J? What's he all up and doin in the west?_ Gamzee wondered as he saw Violent order a meal. Gamzee walked up from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. The ICP member turned around and recognized him immediately. He smiled.

"Heeey Gamzee, how's it goin with my main juggalo man?" Violent asked, fist bumping Gamzee. Gamzee shrugged.

"It's goin okay I guess. But listen, if you and the guys aren't all up and doin something later, or any other motherfuckin time, I kinda need a ride." he said sheepishly. Violent looked at him quizzically.

"Where to?"

"Kansas."

"Damn man, that's a long way. Why're ya going there anyway?"

"It's, uh, it's a girl." God Gamzee hated explaining that he was lovestruck, but Violent just cracked a smile.

"Heh, my little Gam is grown' up. Alright, I'll take ya, but you gotta pay up." he said. Gamzee was taken aback.

"Hey! I was the one who practically motherfuckin wrote one of your most popular songs. I think that's payment enough." he said, glaring at Violent, who only sighed.

"Fine Makara. Consider us even then." he said as he got out his keys and walked out the door, with Gamzee in tow.

The pair had gotten pretty far when on the road, but eventually, the car had broken down.

"Fuckin piece of shit..." Violent muttered to himself as he tried to get it running again. Eventually, the car started up again, but it spat and sputtered, as if about to stop again.

"Sorry Gamzee, but my car doesn't seem to want to go on. So you'll have to go on alone, cuz I gotta get this fixed." Gamzee just shrugged. He had gotten far enough as far as he was concerned. He was now in the state of Wyoming. But wait a minute.

_When I checked the map, Wyoming is motherfuckin North of Utah. Which means that bastard had no idea where the hell he was going._ he thought bitterly. Oh well, now all he had to do was head south to Nebraska. Easy peasy right?

Wrong.

Gamzee had one of the most unbearable cases of ADHD, especially when he was off of his medication, and often got distracted at the tiniest of things. And today, he happened to stumble upon Yellowstone park. To him, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. All the sights and sounds were too much for his brain, and he soon found himself walking around and looking at different animals and plants. He even ended up making his way to something he'd never seen before. It was a pool of water, but it was colorful! He'd never seen anything like it.

_This is bitch tits wicked! All of those colors just all up and swirled around like that. It's so beautiful, especially the greens. Hey, Nep's favorite color is green, isn't it...?_ he suddenly got out of his awestruck state, only to remember what his main goal was in the first place. But the sun was slowly setting, which meant he'd have to stay the night in Yellowstone.

_Good thing Violent gave me some cash before he left._ Gamzee thought happily as he started to make his way to the nearest motel. He sure was glad the Messiahs had given him good luck throughout the trip so far.


	9. Chapter 9

Happy 4th of July everyone! (Even if you aren't American :P)

* * *

Nepeta had ran her hardest away from that juvenile detention center. She ran until her legs gave out from under her. She crawled to a nearby gas station and slumped in front of the convenience store. It was late at night, and the store was just about to close up. She could see the shadow of the employee, and hear his whistle too. That's when she got a crazy idea. Maybe it was from the lack of food, or the fact that she had ran faster than she ever had in her track meetings, but Nepeta had a crazy idea. She decided that she was going to spend the night at the convenience store.

The first part of getting in was easy. The employee had left the doors wide open because it was so hot and muggy. She creeped up to the doors and slowly slid in, completely undetected. She found a hiding spot behind a rack of assorted snacks, and ducked under it, to make sure she was absolutely hidden. Now, all that was left to do was wait.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the employee left the store, locking up behind him. Once Nepeta knew for sure that he was gone, she sprang out from behind the snack rack, and turned into a ravenous, hungry being from Hell. She devoured everything from chips and hot dogs to cookies and candy. All those days of suffering from barely anything to eat melted away in her mind as she devoured more and more. Finally, after polishing off the last bag of Lays, she let out a great burp, and decided to go to sleep.

Her sleep had been pretty peaceful for once, not having to be outside and all. That was until she got up at three in the morning to use the bathroom, just like always. Except this time, there was no bathroom. Panic quickly set in as she realized that all of that crap she had eaten was going to all come out soon, and she had nowhere to properly dispose of it. Her stomach growled in protest the more she waited.

_Oh god, what do I what do I do what do I do!_ she thought as she desperately searched around for a solution. Then finally, she found it. It was a storage closet, and she hoped as she ripped open the door that there was a bucket in there. There was no bucket, but there was a cardboard box. She sighed miserably and unzipped her pants. This had to be the most awkward thing she had ever subjected herself to.

Once she was done, she closed the door, hoping that the stench wouldn't disturb her too much until she got up. She settled down once again until she realized another issue with her sleeping here: security cameras. She had almost forgotten that they were posted everywhere around the building.

_Guess it's time to get the ladder._ she thought as she opened the closet door and retrieved the ladder.

A few punches to the cameras later, Nepeta was done with having to worry. She made extra careful not to reveal her face too much to them, and she considered the mission a success.

By the time morning came, Nepeta was on the road again, more determined than ever to reach Kansas. The same employee from last night had come about an hour after she had left, and opened the doors, only to find the most horrifying thing he'd ever seen in his career. Boxes and bags of every snack were strewn about, and random bits of garbage littered the floor as well. There was even an awful odor coming out from behind the closet. But he was mostly concerned about the cash register. He ran over, praying that all the money was still there. To his surprise, it still was. This puzzled him.

_So if the money's still there, was it an animal that got in here?_ It would certainly explain the foul odor in the closet. Nonetheless, this had to be reported. He ran right out the door to his car, where he picked up his phone and called his manager. While he was running, he didn't notice that one bottle of Faygo had gone missing from the fridge.


	10. Chapter 10

Gamzee had gotten up the next morning and stretched. He had almost forgotten he had spent the night in a motel. Where else would he spend it and get a wonderful night's sleep? A convenience store? Ha! What a joke.

After getting showered and grooming himself once more, he set out to find Nebraska. It was definitely going to be a big challenge, since there seemed to be no street signs for miles on end, but he kept himself motivated.

_I can't believe I've walked this motherfuckin far in a short period of time. And I all up and saw one of the best motherfuckin miracles ever too_. he'd often think as he passed by a beautiful waterfall, pond, or river. He'd remind himself of all the amazing things he'd done in the past few days, and he was only in middle school. He smiled to himself.

_I bet I showed dad that I wasn't a worthless piece of shit. I'm so motherfuckin happy that I could prove myself to him_. he thought. And then, he stopped. His smile faltered.

_Dad probably doesn't probably even motherfuckin care that I'm gone..._

He walked over to a nearby forest along the highway and sat on a tree stump. See, there were more side affects to going on for days without his medication. Gamzee was prone to having terrible anger episodes, and they often caused the destruction of something in his house.

And he could feel one coming on right now.

His palms were sweaty and his hands shook. He gripped the stump with all of his will, and tried not to destroy anything. He started to get dark, terrible thoughts about what he wanted to do about his neglectful dad. Suddenly, his head shot up and he bared his teeth. This marked phase three of four of his typical rage fits. Gamzee ran over to a tree and punched and kicked as hard as ever.

"I motherfuckin hate you dad!" he screamed as he clawed mercilessly at the tree.

And then, something snapped in his brain. It was a memory of one of his conversations with Nepeta.

_Gamzee, it's okay... shhhh..._ she had said while he raged over the phone. Somehow, her constant shooshing had managed to calm him down. He thought of Nepeta's calming voice as he began to calm down even further. He walked right back over to the stump, sat back down, and fell asleep. He was happy once again.

* * *

I know, short chapter! I'm sorry T.T


	11. Chapter 11

Nepeta was so close to Kansas, she could just feel it. She just hoped that Gamzee was either- a) already there, or b) at least one state away. She realized just how much of a problem it was that neither of them could be trusted with cellphones.

_Maybe this whole adventure across America is the reason I'm not allowed to have a phone._ she thought as she chuckled to herself. Nepeta knew after this trip she'd probably never be allowed to have a phone until she was eighteen, but to her, not having a phone wouldn't even compare to all the things she'd remember from this trip for the rest of her life. She smiled as she stopped at another local gas station.

_Heh, this'll be one crazy story to tell my kids..._

After her little break, she began to walk again, noting how much her foot had healed since she first hurt it. She decided that it was safe enough to start running hard again, just a little test to see how much more her foot could take. Unfortunately for Nepeta, this was a really terrible idea. Because as soon as she got tired of running a long way, she realized she had made it to the city of Saint Louis, Missouri. This would be a good thing, if not for the fact that this was the not-so-great part of Saint Louis. Nepeta could tell that where she was at wasn't so great, because of how roughed up and torn it looked. It was just so... dead. She swallowed and made her way across the city, hoping that there wasn't any thieves or druggies that she'd have to encounter.

Unfortunately, her luck had just about run out.

Because it just so happened that two street gangs had gotten in a fight at that moment, kind of similar to the gangs in Westside Story, except there was a lack of snapping, and way more violent acts would definitely be taking place. She let out a tiny shriek as some of the gang members rounded the corner, punches coming in all directions. She hid behind the corner of a worn out looking 7 eleven, heart beating fast. Unfortunately, it had seemed that other members of the gang had had the same idea, because they spotted her immediately, and smiled ominous smiles. Nepeta gulped.

"Well would ya looky here. We got ourselves a little spy I think. Wouldn't you boys say so?" the leader asked. The men laughed evilly and slapped Nepeta a little bit. She grimaced, but kept a straight face and spoke calmly.

"I'm not apart of this fight. I don't know what happened between you guys, but I do know that I want to get out of here as fast as possible." she said. The leader snickered.

"Cut the bullshit and tell us your name, babe." he said. Then, Nepeta got angry. She was tired of people not taking her seriously, and not listening to anything she said. Despite her small figure, she could pack quite a punch. And that's exactly what she did to the leader. She punched him right in the eye, catching him off guard.

"LISTEN YOU DIPSHIT, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF LISTENING TO IDIOTS THIS WEEK, SO YOU BETTER LET ME GO OR I'LL KICK YOU SO HARD IN YOUR BALLS YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN!" she said as she beat him up even more.

"Ouch, stop that ya little brat! Hey, all of you guys can't just stand around! Gimme a hand will ya?" the leader shouted. The stunned group suddenly snapped back into action and dog piled on Nepeta. Unfortunately, that was a terrible idea, because she bit them all with her teeth that she had sharpened just to be like a cat's. The boys got up and ran away from an angry Nepeta, who was left breathing heavily.

After she had calmed down, she continued to walk on, grateful that the gang fights were over. She was still bitter about yelling, but was impressed on how she handled herself in a potentially dangerous situation. It was only a couple more miles now. With any luck, she could run and make it there. So she did. She ran the hardest she had ever run, on her way to her destination: the Kansas Airport.


	12. Chapter 12

Gamzee was _finally_ at the Kansas airport. He was sound asleep in one of the chairs at the airport however, and he hoped Nepeta was just a little bit behind because he was supposed to greet her. He wondered if anybody would question-

"Excuse me boy, where are your parents?" a flight attendant had asked. Wow, that was faster than he thought. Luckily, he had come up a handful of excuses and arguments to keep the attendant occupied.

"I'm waiting for my parents to get here. They're gonna get here from North Carolina." he said confidently. He smiled when the attendant asked the next expected question.

"Alright. Last name?"

"Thompson." he answered. See, Gamzee had done some research while he was at the airport, and discovered that a family by the name of Thompson was coming to the airport from North Carolina. The attendant nodded, and wished Gamzee a safe flight. After the attendant left, Gamzee chuckled to himself. He silently thanked Eridan for the lessons in politeness.

After awhile, he got bored, and hungry. All the money he had been given was gone, and nobody seemed to notice he was shivering from famine.

But suddenly, as if on cue, a light tap on the shoulder caused him to look up. A cute girl with short, black hair was standing in front of him, holding out a Faygo bottle. It took him awhile to realize that she was offering it to him. But when he did realize it, he found himself smiling.

"Thanks, sis. That's motherfuckin sweet of you to do that." Gamzee said, taking the bottle. The girl smiled.

"I just thought you looked really hungry, but I didn't have anything to eat, so I gave you this." she said. "Although, it was for someone that I was supposed to be for someone else, but he'll understand."

And then Gamzee found himself speechless. Realization that this voice was awfully familiar hit him like a wave.

"Are you... motherfuckin Nepeta?" he asked slowly.

...

Nepeta's smile had widened as she realized she had given the Faygo to the right person after all. She jumped for joy as she answered Gamzee's question.

"Yes! And you must be Gamzee! Oh my gosh it's so awesome to see you!" Nepeta said as she tackled him got the ground in a big embrace. Gamzee smiled.

"So, I must be pretty motherfuckin weird to you with all the washed up make up, huh?" he spoke in his stoner drawl. Nepeta sat up and giggled.

"No Gamzee! I don't care what you look like as long as you have a good purrsonality. Er, personality." she said. Nepeta had been trying to correct her cat talk ever since she talked to Gamzee, so he wouldn't think she was a freak. But she got so excited that she let it slip a little. However, to her surprise, Gamzee grinned.

"Aww, that was adorable Nep. Do you usually talk like a cat?" Nepeta sheepishly nodded.

"Well I think it's motherfuckin cute. You don't have to disguise it for me."

And at that moment, their hearts couldn't take the separation anymore. They embrace and passionately kissed. The moment was absolutely perfect, even if they both didn't smell all that great, and their feet ached from running so many miles. For the rest of the day, they talked and snuggled like a normal couple, not even thinking about going home.

Eventually, the police looking for Nepeta did catch up to her at the airport, and took her into their custody for the second time. But she didn't really care, because she considered her mission was complete. They also took Gamzee into their custody, but after doing a full body inspection, found that something wasn't right.

"Gamzee, do you consider your home to be safe?" he was asked as he was taken into the questioning room. Gamzee hesitantly shook his head. He didn't really want to deal with this to be honest, because he knew that afterwords he wouldn't have a place to live. But surprisingly, the police knew a lot more about his father and his other relatives than he thought.

"Gamzee, your father has been arrested multiple times for drug dealing. Did you know that?" Gamzee was astonished, and shook his head.

"He's also abused you and your brother, right?" Gamzee nodded. The man sighed.

"The home you've been living in isn't suitable for you and your brother." Gamzee looked down at the ground. He didn't want to be adopted. But the police officer surprised him yet again.

"Gamzee, you know you have an aunt in Brooklyn that you can stay with. Is that alright with you?" the police man asked. Gamzee thought about it.

"Well, what's she like?" he asked.

"She's a kind woman. She takes care of your cousins quite nicely."

"What are my cousins like?"

"The first one is kind of quiet at first, but once you get to know her, she'll open up. She's a great adeventurer, and strives to be an archeologist. Your other cousin is her older sister, but is in college, so you won't see her often." Gamzee smiled as he thought about it. He liked the sound if that.

"Sure. Sounds sweet." the police man seemed happy with Gamzee's choice, and called the police station in the west to come and get his things.

When he told Nepeta the plan for him, she was really excited.

"Brooklyn? That's two hours away from where I live Gamzee!" Gamzee was once again shocked.

"Nep! Holy Messiahs this is a motherfuckin miracle!" he shouted he brought her into a big hug. She returned the affection, and thought of how warm he was. She wanted this feeling to last for a very long time. It seemed that the both of them had found that their long journey to meet each other really was worth it.

* * *

Woah I'm finally done! Just a little note before I shut up: let me know if you want me to edit this chapter, because I'm on so much pain meds right now that I dunno if what I said makes sense. In fact, it was probably was a bad idea to write this, but whatever, I hoped you all liked it :)


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